The Boston Tea Party

Despite the peace that temporarily reigned in Boston, the Sons of Liberty were continually trying to find ways to keep Parliament’s power over them in check. Furthermore, the tax on tea became more and more irritating.

In 1773, Parliament authorized the Tea Act. Within the Tea Act, Parliament granted the East India Company a monopoly (the only business in a specific trade or product) over the American tea trade. Although the monopoly decreased the price of tea, Americans realized that Parliament was only regulating American trade and had the power to interfere in American business whenever it suited them. Public protest of the Tea Act grew quickly through the colonies. Fearing a revolt, several ships carrying tea destined for New York and Philadelphia returned to England without unloading tea.

On December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel Adams, planned to show Parliament how they felt about the Tea Act. They boarded the British ship Dartmouth docked in Boston Harbor, dressed up as Indians, and dumped the entire load of tea into the water. This event came to be known as the Boston Tea Party.

The historical significance of the Boston Tea Party is recognized more in the British response than in the event itself. As a result of the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed the following laws designed to punish the Americans:

• The Boston Harbor Bill: Closed the harbor to all commercial traffic until Americans paid for the tea.
• The Administration of Justice Act: Required royal officials charged with capital crimes to be tried in Britain.
• Massachusetts Government Act: Ended self-rule and placed colonies under British appointment.
• Quartering Act: Required Americans to house British soldiers if necessary.
• Quebec Act: Extended the Canadian border into the Ohio River Valley, eliminating land claims by Massachusetts, Virginia, and Connecticut.

These laws were called the Intolerable Acts and resulted in the formation of the Continental Congress.